Every Thursday ENGLISH LANGUAGE tours of Lorca castle this spring

The tour is on offer throughout the spring of 2019

Lorca castle, the Fortaleza del Sol (Fortress of the Sun), is open to the public seven days a week and visitors can follow a route around the castle using an English language audioguide.

Every Thursday there is an ENGLISH LANGUAGE GUIDED VISIT to the castle, with a mixture of audioguide and tour guide, including lunch in the on-site cafetería, which gives access to areas not normally included within the open-visits.

These tours include the 15th century synagogue which has been discovered within the castle walls and a climb to the top of the keep (the Torre Alfonsina) to enjoy the panoramic view out over the landscape below.

Option 1: English language tour

Tour name on booking form: Tours of Lorca Castle in English

This tour starts at 10:30 with a one hour audioguide around the main sites of the castle itself, including a chance to enjoy the fabulous views from the top of the Espolón tower, walk the Mediaeval walls, and see the different displays focusing on the various aspects of day to day life in the castle.

After this at 11:30 a guided tour of the 15th century Jewish quarter and synagogue shows the only synagogue in Spain from this period which survived the Christian Reconquist of Spain without being coverted into a Christian place of worship. During the Mediaeval period Jews formed an essential link in the trading loop between the Moors who had occupied much of Spain in the 8th century and the Christian forces who gradually re-gained control of the Murcia area in the 13th century but had to contend with the last remaining Moorish forces who maintained their hold on the neighbouring Kingdom of Granada for a further 250 years.Jewish traders were forced to live in closed districts away from the Christian population and the remains found in Lorca show their settlement was abandoned and never re-inhabited after they were expelled from Spain altogether.

And to wrap up the morning, choose from the menu on offer in the cafeteria included in the price and enjoy the atmosphere inside the castle with your meal. It is possible to continue the audioguide tour at any time after the set visits.

Sample Menu for visits (Please note that the dishes may change):
Select from the following list of starters:
Special castle gazpacho (cold soup), Salmorejo ( a different type of cold soup with bread),home made croquettes, courgette and mushrooms cream, Morcilla (blood sausage, with pine nuts and onions, very nice squeezed out onto bread), or courgette and parmesan salad.

Main course:

Aubergine stuffed with meat and topped with béchamel and cheese

Lorquian BBQ

Dorado

Murcian style cod

Lasagne made from mushrooms, courgettes and aubergines

Selection of roasted vegetables

Followed by a choice of dessert which normally comprises fruit, ice cream, crema quemado, a set custard dish with glazed top and a type of pastry, which varies from day to day.

One drink per person and bread are also included.

Advance booking essential

The English language tours are priced at 22 euros for adults including a full lunch menu at the onsite restaurant, while children aged between 5 and 12 are admitted for 5 euros (no special lunch menu).

Option 2:Entry to the castle anytime without packages. No pre-booking required.

The castle is open from 10:30 to 19:30 seven days a week.

There is the option to eat in the café, but the basic entry fee excludes any guided visits, and the Synagogue and Alfonsine Tower which can only be visited with a guide:

Entry to the castle, English language audiotour and Spanish language guided visits to the Alfonsine Tower and Synagogue.

As demand from English speaking visitors is lower than Spanish, the standard guided visits to the castle are in Spanish. This third option gives you the chance to see the two areas of the castle which are only visitable with a guide along with the Spanish language groups, but also enjoy the remainder of the castle with an English language audioguide.

This visit is bookable as the "Visita Diurna al Castillo de Lorca"

Dates:
Seven days a week

From 10:30 to 19:30.Enter at will and take the audioguide to see main areas of the castle.

Join the Spanish language visits to restricted access areas:

Synagogue: 11:30, 13:30, 16:30 and at weekends only 18:30

Torre Alfonsina at 12:30 and 17:30

Price:
10€ Adults and children over 13
5€ Children aged 5-12

Optional lunch is also available, see above for Menu: 22€ Adult entry and lunch or 13€ for child entry and lunch. The kitchen in the cafeteria serves meals until 16:00